Annette Blackwell - Mayor and Safety Director of City of Maple Heights
Each and every day, we take advantage of programs, systems, and policies created and managed by our community leaders. Each city throughout Northeast Ohio, governed by its own representatives strives to provide the best possible environment to its residents. Working hard behind the scenes to ensure that our daily lives remain stress-free and safe is the number one priority of professional administrators and elected officials alike.
Annette Blackwell, the first woman and person of color to serve as Mayor of Maple Heights, has spent the last nine years (and counting) dedicating her time, energy, and expertise to creating and maintaining a city that not only benefits its residents but betters the entire community of Cleveland. After over 100 years since the city was founded, Annette began her first of three terms in 2016.
A wife, mother of three, and grandmother of five, Annette is no stranger to knowing what it's like to be pulled in many directions. Her children are what inspired her to pursue a role in local government after graduating from the Maple Heights school system and becoming involved with the community during each of their times in school. After being asked to be the chairperson to advocate for a school levy, Annette began doing more to advocate for her community.
She soon after became part of a parent organization, working with parents and teaching them how to be effective and ensure that their children have a productive and enjoyable school year. This program was designed to support Black and African American families. This program aims to promote family pride, cohesion, and help families cope with the negative effects of racism.
Her experiences helping others and advocating for their success eventually led her to run for city council. After an unfortunately unsuccessful campaign, Annette didn’t stop and soon after, pursued the position of Mayor. With some encouragement and mentorship from the previous Mayor, Annette went on to win the election for Mayor and has continued on to serve what is now her third term.
Annette also worked as a Senior Property Tax Analyst for a national accounting firm prior to her role as Mayor and credited her business background and knowledge with helping her to see the city government in a new light and navigate her role in a complicated system. “It's a business. The one thing I think people are most surprised about is when I say that I am a salesperson. There are 59 communities in Cuyahoga County and I am always competing or working with other cities,” she told us.
We asked Annette to tell us a bit about her day-to-day work and what a career in local government can look like. She very simply explained that like our national government, much of her work and the work of her colleagues can be divided into the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. “I manage the city. The buck kind of stops here. Of course, you're also kind of a customer service representative. It’s my job also to increase our revenue to cover expenses and I am public relations, I’m the face of the city,” she said.
It isn't surprising to hear all that goes into the business of running an entire city, but we often forget the facts that there are real individuals who live in these communities who are making these changes and maintaining the day-to-day operations. From small matters of fixing burnt-out streetlights to the large tasks of talking with residents about the changes in reappraisal values on their homes, the members of your local government do it all.
Often unnoticed, individuals in our local government systems work hard to ensure things run smoothly for all who live in the community while Annette often finds herself speaking on behalf of the broader needs of the city, as the face of the community and representative of its people. She told us a big part of her role has been, “Taking responsibility and accountability. It doesn't matter who did it, it's all my fault. No matter what the problem becomes, it's our goal to address those concerns quickly and adequately.”
Although this pressure can be overwhelming and feel impossible to properly address, Annette has done so with grace and dedication throughout her years as Mayor and continues to have a deep understanding of her role in serving the community and its people. She said, “You’re always on and people are looking for that person and that’s why they check the box. They want you to fix it, they think you’re the person who has the answers. I will say that I am in my third term, I think they believe I will get it done and check the boxes.”
As we all experience in our own communities, there are struggles that prevent cities from thriving and become obstacles that Mayors and leaders like Annette are dedicated to resolving and improving. Mental health, physical health, climate control, health disparities, and the city's biggest crisis, Black infant mortality, are just some of the struggles that the Maple Heights community finds itself facing.
Annette touched on the issues she focuses on most saying, “Black infant mortality is more than three times that of white babies. Now it is Black maternal mortality as well. I was told we have some of the highest numbers, close to a third-world country, but we sit between two hospital systems. It is about not just declaring a health crisis, but how do we address it.”
Beyond the trials and tribulations that come with her role, Annette has found herself deeply inspired by the Cleveland community and its support of her role. She has connected with so many individuals throughout her time in office and credits many of her personal relationships with inspiring her to reach further and strive for success. Seeing people supporting others and continuing to show up for one another has been a driving force in her pursuit of bettering her community.
Annette credits her faith with providing a basis for her understanding of community telling us, “This is a ministry. We take care of people. We try to address the challenges of poverty, find affordable housing that is safe, understand what institutional racism really means, and address food insecurity. The things that I champion for, that's the ministry. Giving people faith and dignity.” With resources like a brick-and-mortar pantry, mobile food pantry, senior center, music in the park, and many more experiences and resources, the city of Maple Heights is dedicated to building a well-rounded community for its residents to connect with and benefit from.
After telling us of the challenges she and the community have faced over the years, Annette was nothing short of proud to continue on, sharing with us about the successes the city has seen during her nine years in office and beyond. She told us about the shift that occurred when she took up her position and the crises she faced when first beginning her role. She told us, “The year before I became Mayor, the city was declared a fiscal emergency. That means the city was bankrupt. More than half the staff was laid off, the employees here hadn’t had a raise in ten years, all new equipment had to be bought because everything was broken, and because the wealth moved out.”
The individuals who could afford to leave the city and move to other communities that offered more benefits, resources, and qualities, did leave and took their wealth and economic benefits with them. This left Maple Heights struggling with low home values, little to no tax support for the failing school systems, and many other financial and social issues.
At almost a three-million-dollar deficit, Annette entered the scene and began the city's five-year recovery process under the tight budget and watchful eye of the state auditors. After turning things around in only four years, Annette has so much to be proud of and she knows it saying, “We aren’t winning anymore, we’ve won. Now I say we’re a city that found its way back. We're a fiscally sustainable and successful city. We’re a city where businesses want to invest. We’re a smart city that has technology in a modern urban area.”
As the first woman and person of color to serve as Mayor of Maple Heights, Annette is no stranger to bias and prejudice. She knows the impact these stereotypes can have on a community and has seen firsthand not only how a city can suffer, but also how it can work its way back from the bottom and prove its value to outsiders and residents alike. She shared, “There’s this perception that when a city becomes too dark, too dirty and too dangerous. And you have to overcome that. We are a city now that I am proud to say has improved the overall quality of life. We work at it every single day. I am proud of our city's improvements, innovation, and reinvestment.”
Although it often goes undetected by residents, city officials like Annette are constantly determined to build and manage a community that serves its people. There are so many things that the local government is overseeing and managing that we often take advantage of and benefit from without even knowing the individuals who make it possible. Annette said it best, “It’s being a person who takes care of things and makes resources available through board memberships, meeting more people, and increasing citizen engagement. Also addressing the mistrust of local government. I don’t just show up every four years, I am present in all that we do.”
Professionally, Annette's goals very much align with her desire to better the community. She mentioned opening the pool as a somewhat unexpected but meaningful goal of hers saying, “It means we are a full community. And we don’t have to leave, there is something for everyone.” This sentiment confirms that her wishes for a full and vibrant community are feasible and her words serve as a reassuring and reaffirming reminder to residents that their desires are heard and someone is working hard to make the community a desirable place to be.
Improving current circumstances is a large part of Annette's work. However, for her, it is also about recognizing the past and acknowledging how far the city has come. The improvements in Marple Heights not only benefit residents, but also help to positively represent the community on a larger stage to the entire county, region, and state. Annette said, “I want our stories told. They write about Maple Heights if there is a police chase or a kid missing but I want our story told so that people are validated.”
Personally, Annette hopes there is plenty of quality time with family, world travel, and lots of writing in her future. As a poet, Annette dreams of telling her story and that of her community through poetry and sharing it with the world. She humbly acknowledges her contributions to the city and its people knowing that she has accomplished much of what she set out to do and is excited about her professional future and that of the city.
Someday, even after her time as Mayor has come to an end, Annette Blackwell's impact will be felt for generations throughout the city of Maple Heights. Living what she calls her “purpose-driven life” she is truly leaving the world better than she found it. She is dedicated to creating a better community and improving the quality of life for all its citizens as Mayor and has gone above and beyond during her time working for the city to ensure that its long-term success is guaranteed. Her hard work, no-nonsense attitude, determination, and dedication are just a few of the qualities that make her such an effective and admirable member of local government. She leads with passion, confidence, and grace, ushering the next generation into a vibrant and successful community. It was an honor to hear all about her journey to office, her ideas for improvement, and her plans for the future and we are thrilled to cheer her on as she continues her leadership and pursues new goals in the future.
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